Bean Sprout Recipes

The young, tender sprouts of germinated beans, bean sprouts, are nutritious, white and crunchy. Mung bean sprouts, also known as Chinese bean sprouts, are the most common variety and have a delicate flavour. They are short and stubby with a little green ‘head’. Soya bean sprouts are longer and fatter with a yellow tip. Alfalfa, aduki, chickpea and lentil sprouts can be used in the same way as mung and soya.

Bean sprouts have a high water content, so they only keep for a very short time in the refrigerator before they start to turn limp and mushy. They are best used as soon as they are ready for harvest and are unsuitable for freezing. It’s so easy to make your own bean sprouts in one of the many Healthmakers Sprouting products, you can have a steady stream of bean sprouts every day.

Bean sprout salad with soy dressing

Ingredients

225 g bean spouts

100 g mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 cucumber, un-peeled and diced

1 small onion, thinly sliced and separated into rings

1/2 bunch watercress

For the dressing:

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped ginger

1/2 onion, finely chopped

175 ml olive oil

55 ml red wine vinegar

55 ml cold water

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons tomato puree

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

In a large bowl combine the first four ingredients. Add the best leaves of the watercress. Cover the bowl with cling film and refrigerate whilst preparing the dressing. Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a blender. Blend until smooth. Taste, and adjust the seasoning as required.

Sweet Bean Sprout Salad

Toss bean sprouts with chopped apple, red pepper, orange or grapefruit, and a little mayonnaise or plain yoghurt. Serve over lettuce leaves, or stuff inside a hollowed out tomato.

Ginger Fried Rice with Bean sprouts

Ingredients

3 Large handfuls bean sprouts, rinsed

3 tablespoons vegetable stock

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1.5 teaspoons sesame oil

Salt and pepper to taste

5 servings-worth of precooked brown, basmati or jasmine rice

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root

90ml Chinese cooking wine, rice wine, sherry, or sake

Directions

In a small bowl, stir together stock, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Heat the vegetable oil in a large frying pan or wok over moderately high heat, until hot but not smoking. Add the ginger root and sauté, stirring, for 20 seconds until fragrant. Add the bean sprouts and rice wine and stir-fry until the sprouts begin to soften, about 1 minute. Add rice and cook, stirring frequently for 2 to 3 minutes, or until heated through. Add liquid mixture to rice, tossing to coat evenly. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

An excellent topping for steamed potatoes or squash for a light meal. Serves 6 as a side dish.

Bean sprouts in peanut oil

Ingredients

Directions

In a very hot wok, coat well with oil and add spring onions, ginger and garlic. Season and stir. Quickly add the bean sprouts and stir-fry, flipping the sprouts around quickly. Check for seasoning. Serve immediately with fresh coriander sprinkled on top. Delicious with jasmine rice and mango chutney.

Hummus

Ingredients

3 Large handfuls Alfalfa sprouts or any kind of sprouting beans

1 Clove of garlic or more if you like

Couple of good slugs of olive oil

1 rounded teaspoon of tahini (sesame paste); optional

Squeeze of juice from half a fresh lemon or lime

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Throw all ingredients into a blender (theVitamixwould be ideal for this), and whizz together until smooth-ish. Great on wholemeal toast or pita bread with tomatoes and lettuce, with roasted vegetables and rice, or as a dip with crudités.

To learn more about nutritional value of sprouts click here. sprouts. There is so much more you can do with sprouts, burger patties, sandwiches and stir fry. How do you enjoy your sprouts? I would love to hear from you.

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Colleen’s HealthBeat is my way of sharing all that I have learned about health and diet in over six decades, my favourite recipes, tips and secrets to encourage you to enjoy a healthy happy lifestyle. read more